In 1890, William T. Love began digging a canal near Niagara Falls, New York. The canal was never finished, leaving a seemingly useless hole in the ground. But when industries began to flock to the area in later years, this trench, Love Canal, was destined to find a use. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the 1930s, various companies began dumping chemical waste into the canal. The Hooker Chemical and Plastics Corporation purchased the land in 1942, and until 1953 they disposed of a huge amount of hazardous waste into the canal. Instead of finding a suitable location for the waste, the company simply covered the canal. The Niagara Falls Board of Education purchased the land and built a playground and elementary school, selling the rest of the land to real estate developers. Over the next two decades, chemicals that had been dumped into the Love Canal began to seep through the soil and seep into people's basements, contaminate underground pipes and pollute the air. It was not until the 1970s, however, that the harmful capabilities of chemical waste were recognized. The first tests on the area were undertaken by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation in 1976. In 1977 the results were made public; according to the NYDEC, the groundwater was contaminated, as was the air and soil. Local citizens reported these findings to their US representatives, who appealed to the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). In March 1978, New York's health commissioner saw the USEPA report and decided that human testing would be necessary. Blood samples were taken from Love Canal residents. A group of doctors was assembled to evaluate the test results and recommended drastic measures. As a result, the governor of New York declared a state health emergency. The primary school on the Love Canal site was immediately closed and some families relocated. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The main ethical issue running through this event is the government's willingness to allow companies to dispose of such chemicals into the ground. They should have researched the area and done tests before allowing people to occupy the area. Many government officials should have known about the disposal and made the information public.